von Briesen continues to monitor the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (the "OIG") Work Plan to provide insight into emerging legal trends in health care. Health organizations are advised to use the Work Plan to identify the OIG's areas of interest and enforcement priorities, and to review and update policies and procedures accordingly.

This Legal Update summarizes some of the significant OIG Work Plan updates released for November 2018, December 2018, January 2019, and February 2019.

While it's impossible to predict what government enforcement officials are currently working on, the trends from 2018 provide strong guidance for planning compliance efforts in 2019. In fact, 2018 was another busy year for the Department of Justice (the DOJ) and the Office of the Inspector General for Health and Human Services (the OIG). The following are some notable enforcement trends that may be helpful in planning your 2019 compliance initiatives.